Cw: discussion of inducing vomiting
Kaoru had his hands— hands covered in fur with claws —wrapped around his muzzle (since when did he have that?) as he whimpered quietly in the alley. One wrong turn, huh? One wrong turn and he ended up at a black market and he couldn't stop drooling. He had managed to text Kojiro his location but that was it. Now he just had to hope the other came and kept his senses under control and— what if he brought Adam and Tadashi? Kaoru couldn't have those two seeing him like this. He would scare Adam and Tadashi wouldn't trust him anymore. He couldn't help it. He can't help the way the smell invades every inch of him. His stomach itches for it but he knows that he can't. He has gone twenty-six years of his life without it, he won't start now.
Thank god. Kojiro found him. He found him and everything is going to be okay because now Adam and Tadashi don't have to see him when he looks like— that is Adam. Looking up Kaoru can see his blue hair and his antlers and how uncomfortable he looks. Kaoru takes his hands off his muzzle for now so he can speak although then more drool is coming out and Kaoru is so painfully aware of what he looks like.
"Adam, please help me out of here, or get Kojiro- please."
The herbivore doesn't approach him. Kaoru doesn't blame him. They look at each other for what feels like forever before Adam pulls out his phone and sends a text. He then makes his way over and takes off his belt.
"Just until we get out of here okay?" Adam says. He looks guilty when he says it, but Kaoru supposes he gets it. He keeps his hands down and tilts his head up and then Adam is wrapping the bell around his mouth before tightening it. It doesn't actually do anything and they both probably know that, but it makes Adam feel safer and Kaoru doesn't intend on doing anything to him so it works out.
They get a few blocks away, with Adam holding Kaoru’s hand as they walk. Apparently Kaoru had nearly wandered off once due to this haze and Adam won't be hunting him down. After that Adam carefully took the belt off and put it back on.
"So is this gonna go away?" Adam gestures to... well all of him.
"I don't know," Kaoru muttered.
They continue walking after that.
They get back to the hotel and and Kojiro doesn't hesitate to pull Kaoru into a hug.
"Careful!" Kaoru grumbles when his mouth basically bashes into Kojiro’s chest.
"Sorry," Kojiro says softly before scooping him up anyway.
"Do you know what's wrong with him?" Adam asks softly since that is all he can think, that there must be something wrong with him.
"Just got a little overwhelmed. Nothing to worry about, especially if he isn't acting weird," Kojiro tries to offer a comforting smile, but when he says 'weird' and then not even a moment later Kaoru is pressing his nose into the other's neck and sniffing contently he kinda lost the other two.
"He was at the black market right?" Tadashi asks.
"Well a few alleys away, but yeah pretty much."
"You should go make him throw up," Tadashi says with a shrug as he heads over to his bed. That suggestion is met with a noise from Kaoru that is definitely a whimper.
"I don't think he ate anything," Adam says with a small chuckle. He hopes he didn’t. He won't be able to look at Kaoru the same if he did eat something.
"It would be good to make sure, he headed in that direction and could have been subconsciously following the smell. He should associate this night with misery and making him throw up will do that," Tadashi shrugs as if that is the most normal solution to all of this.
"Kaoru did you eat anything?" Kojiro asks as he sets Kaoru down on his bed.
"He isn't a good liar Tadashi. He looks miserable I'm not making him throw up," Kojiro snaps. He doesn't get mad often and so his anger seems to put a rest to the subject.
"No I didn't eat anything," Kaoru mutters. For someone so confident and independent who always has control over himself, he looks like a scared puppy right now instead of an elegant fox.
Despite that Adam goes to have a shower and Tadashi gets ready for bed. They all share a room though so it makes things awkward. Especially since Kaoru can't seem to relax as he tells Kojiro everything that happened which soon results in Kojiro and Adam fighting because, "On what planet is it okay to wrap a belt around his mouth while he is crying in an alley!"
"He was drooling and had his hands clamped around his mouth already! I'm allowed to be concerned for my own safety!"
"You just scared him further! If you got close enough to him to put the belt around him then that should have told you plenty!"
"Joe I'm fine," Kaoru finally interrupted their conversation. He still didn't feel fine, but he was larger and his mouth was weird and he was pretty sure he could sleep for the next month.
"Led me back here and did what he wanted to- to feel safe around me," his voice cracks and Kojiro is by his side again along with Adam.
"I'm sorry Kaoru, I should have more faith in you then that," Adam whispers.
"No. You probably shouldn't, I did end up in the black market to begin with. Maybe I just subconsciously went there, I just want to forget about it."
Kaoru went to lay down but then Adam was carefully grabbing his face. Hesitating when he felt the fur before just holding onto him and keeping him up.
"You would never hurt me. You would never eat an herbivore. You are precious to me, so please just... don't be mad at yourself."
Had Adam not been keeping his hands on Kaoru’s face and keeping his eyes on him he might not have noticed the way his hands covered in fur and the way it ran up his arms and soon covered him.
That resulted in a very high-pitched scream that had the twocarnivores covering their ears and the third, Tadashi, waking up and doing the same.
"What are you three doing!" Tadashi turned to look at them only to see Adam touching his fur covered face. "What the hell happened to him?"
"It just happened," Kojiro said and held back a laugh.
"Do not laugh at this, I can't look like this," Adam tries to snap but he is panicking too much and was reaching into his clothes to see just how much of him was covered. He touched his mouth and thank god his anatomy hadn't shifted.
"Im flattered," Kaoru teases and it is the first time he has smiled this evening.
To bad it is met with, "Shut up you stupid fox! I bet you planned this!" Along with the thud of a pillow hitting him.
